The present invention relates to an accumulator for molds for use in a system for making confectionery articles, such as chocolate articles, and, more specifically, an accumulator for accumulating molds free of their driving means and operating according to a first-in-first-out logic in which, the first mold entering the accumulator will be the first mold exiting said accumulator.
As is known in the prior art, for making confectionery articles, such as chocolate bars or chocolates, patterns or molds, including a plurality of recesses which are filled by a fluid confectionery mass and then subjected to a solidifying process in refrigerating systems are conventionally used.
These confectionery article making systems are provided with system parts or stations operating with different operating speeds.
For example, due to production quality reasons, the patterning, cooling and mold releasing stations are operatively coupled with one another and, accordingly, they perform synchronous movements, said stations continuously operating to have a number of operating interruptions as small as possible.
For example, in a refrigerating system it is indispensable to hold the confectionery articles at preset temperatures for strictly constant times, to provide an end product having a desired quality.
On the contrary, the packaging or paperwrapping of said confectionery articles is carried out by systems having independent driving means.
In particular, the operating speed of a wrapping unit may vary from 0% to 130% of a constant operating rate of said molding or patterning, cooling and releasing stations.
The mentioned wrapping unit operating rate variations are caused, for example, by interruptions necessary for supplying and replacing packaging materials, as well as for maintenance or jamming reasons.
Thus, because of the mentioned different operating rates of the operating unit or stations provided on a same making line, excess amounts of products are made, which must necessarily be accumulated.
At present, for allowing a continuous operation, between the releasing station and the wrapping machines, released confectionery article accumulating stations are provided, in which the mold released products are handled either individually or by rows or courses of products, for preventing product damage and product jamming which can lock the system.
For preventing possible jammings or "packings" between the confectionery product rows coming from the same mold and possible damages to the products, it would be indispensable to handle each individual product row. For performing such a handling operation, conventional accumulating devices have been designed, which comprise very complex handling mechanisms taking the confectionery articles from conveyor means and depositing them on suitable storing plates or slabs, anchored to conveyor and storing systems, arranged, for example, off-line.
Said prior accumulators have the further drawback that the made confectionery products are held in a waiting for wrapping condition in the accumulator, upon releasing from the mold, thereby said products can be polluted and damaged.
The above mentioned accumulators are usually arranged downstream of the patterning or molding line, between the releasing section and the wrapping line.
The above mentioned approach, in addition to problems related to the released product handling and storing operations (such as damages, pollution, contamination and the like) present the further problem of properly handling the confectionery product supporting plates from a storing position to a loading position thereof.
Moreover, prior continuous line systems have the further drawback that it is necessary to perform, upon sending the plate supported products to the paper wrapping machines, a proper managing of the empty return plates. Thus, in order to control the empty plates, further accumulators must be provided in the return branch of the making line.
Accordingly, prior accumulating stations for accumulating the full and empty plates have a very large overall size.